Work-Based LearningFoundationSanta Fe, New Mexico
A bridge between New Mexico classrooms and New Mexico workplaces
The Work-Based Learning Foundation is a Santa Fe-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit. We build the systems — insurance guidance, agreements, training, and technology — that let a high school and a local business say yes to hosting a student intern.
Our approach
We don’t run internships ourselves — we make it possible for schools and businesses to run them well. That means doing the unglamorous work first: grant research and writing, insurance language, the MOU template, the HR training, the app that makes timekeeping painless. Everything else follows from getting that foundation right.
Who we work with
New Mexico public and charter high schools, career and technical education departments, district HR and risk-management offices, local employers across trades, healthcare, technology, hospitality, and public service, and the students themselves — all connected through our growing regional partner database.
Jose A. Villarreal, Jr.
Founder & Executive Director
Jose has spent the last seven years building New Mexico’s work-based learning infrastructure from the ground up — and this Foundation exists to take that model statewide.
He started in 2019 as Workforce Community Liaison for Farmington Municipal Schools, researching and launching that district’s first work-based learning initiative from scratch: 70 business partners, 200+ student internships, and a full CTE-aligned employability curriculum built for K-12 instruction.
In 2022 he founded and has since led the Work-Based Learning Program at Santa Fe Public Schools, growing it from a 22-student pilot with 4 hospitality partners into a self-sustaining, district-wide program spanning 16 industry sectors and 80+ employer partners. Along the way he’s authored and secured $3.2 million in youth workforce grant funding, and the SFPS program now operates under an Intergovernmental Agreement with the City of Santa Fe running through 2029.
Combined, the two programs Jose has built have placed over 1,000 New Mexico students into real, paid internships — logging more than 108,000 workforce hours and $1.75 million in direct student wages, with a 95% completion rate and 50% of interns converting to part- or full-time employment.
He holds an MBA (Management, Summa Cum Laude) and a BBA (Marketing, Summa Cum Laude) from New Mexico Highlands University, and spent seven years prior as a small-business owner and SBA-aligned business counselor — experience he draws on directly for the Foundation’s partnership and fundraising strategy.
Tell us where you’re starting from
School leader, business owner, potential donor, or student — we’ll route your message to the right person.
Phone
(505) 555-0125
Office
Santa Fe, New Mexico
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